With a probe of Gov. Pat Quinn’s troubled anti-violence grant program on the table Wednesday, a panel of state lawmakers spent eight hours bickering at a hearing that proved long on election-year antics and short on revelations.

They talked over each other. They lobbed accusations. And they even differed on when to break for lunch and who should run the meeting.

When it was all over, they’d agreed on one just one thing: putting online for public perusal thousands of documents related to the Democratic governor’s Neighborhood Recovery Initiative. Left unresolved, however, was whether and when seven key witnesses would testify about what they did while working on a $54.5 million program launched four years ago to funnel money to predominantly Democratic areas of Chicago and the south suburbs as Quinn was locked in a tough election battle.

After initially refusing any delay in calling witnesses despite admonitions by federal prosecutors that it could jeopardize a criminal probe, Republicans now say they can live with postponing interviews for 90 days. That would put the much-investigated grant program front and center in early October, a month before Quinn stands for re-election.

Democrats, who initially supported prosecutors’ call for a 90-day delay, now are balking at the idea of setting a specific date to take testimony, even though it’s possible all the witnesses will take the fifth.

The political pivoting by both parties illustrates the high stakes. Democrats are trying to assist their standard-bearer Quinn, who is trying to weather the drip-drip-drip of stories looking at how the grant money was misspent. Republicans who say the money amounted to a “slush fund” want to keep the issue alive to help GOP governor candidate Bruce Rauner, who has hammered Quinn on the topic for weeks.

The original purpose of Wednesday’s meeting was to hear from current and former officials connected to the anti-violence grant push that lawmakers had subpoenaed as they continue to peel apart a scathing February audit that found the program was hastily implemented, lacked oversight and spurred questionable spending.

But last week and again Tuesday, the U.S. Justice Department asked lawmakers to delay the proceedings by 90 days, saying public interviews “pose several substantial risks to our ongoing criminal investigation.”

Republicans argued legislators were capable of pursing a parallel inquiry without interfering, and pushed for the aides to testify on Wednesday. But GOP lawmakers backed down after attorneys representing the subpoenaed officials said their clients would not speak until after cleared to do so by the federal government, or until lawmakers asked for a court order forcing their testimony.

A lawyer representing Barbara Shaw, who led the Quinn agency overseeing the anti-violence program, said the investigations were “not a matter of speculation” and should be heeded.

“It is Ms. Shaw’s decision at this time that it would be inappropriate not to respect the intent of the Justice Department’s request and the concerns raised therein,” attorney John Theis said.

Rep. David Reis, R-Willow Hill, argued the panel was not acting as an investigative body but merely trying to sort out problems in the program and how to fix them moving forward. Reis noted that Quinn himself has said officials should be forthcoming.

“We just want to get to the bottom of it. Barbara was in charge of this program. I find it just bizarre that we can’t just go over this and move forward with what we are statutorily required to do,” Reis said. “Lawyers aside and subpoenas aside, that’s what the people of Illinois want.”

Democrats replied that would happen in due time, saying the grant program had been suspended and there was no harm in waiting to continue the examination. They chided Republicans for trying to score political points at the expense of jeopardizing a federal probe.

“It’s plain as day. The U.S. Attorney’s office from the Central District has said ‘Do not interview or take testimony of any of the people who were connected to (the program)’” said Sen. John Mulroe, D-Chicago. “I’m having trouble with understanding how – other than some other motives, which we can all understand the undertones – at the expense of everyone, we’re going to provide some political theater or circustry to a few.”

Later in the day, Democrats offered up their own political performance when Republicans came around to the idea of delaying the hearing, and proposed lawmakers put off interview until Oct. 7, weeks before the Nov. 4 election between Quinn and Rauner.

The five Democrats in attendance voted “present” on the proposal, a move that prevents them from being recorded as voting against a delay, but also put the kibosh on the Republican plan, which got only six of the nine votes needed for approval.

Democrats contended lawmakers should not set a specific date to conduct the hearings, saying prosecutors may need more time to complete their work. But refusing to set a specific date also provides wiggle room that could allow them to put off testimony that could be politically damaging to Quinn until after the election.

The push back started an hours-long skirmish over the wording of a motion that would lay out when lawmakers could being to take testimony. Republicans argued lawmakers should move forward after the 90-day holding period unless federal prosecutors request lawmakers once again stand down. Democrats, meanwhile, said they wanted explicit permission from authorities before moving forward.

Rep. Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley, said without a “green light” from prosecutors, lawmakers could see themselves once again arguing over how to proceed in the fall.

“If the feds aren’t done and ask us for additional time or say ‘you can’t have these witnesses’ then you get to witness what you saw here again today,” Mautino said.

Republicans countered that Mautino should get on the phone with prosecutors to clear up confusion. Sen. Jim Oberweis, R-Sugar Grove, went so far as to call the prosecutor’s office during a break and accused Mautino of refusing to join the conversation.

“This can be resolved right now,” said Oberweis, who is challenging Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin in the November election. “Please, tell me you are just playing politics.”

Mautino eventually agreed to speak to the U.S. attorney on Thursday morning, when lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene in an effort to reach an agreement. Mautino argued that he was focused on complying with federal officials, not the governor’s race.

“That really doesn’t make a difference,” he said. “We are going to do what we’re going to do here. The parties are going to do what they are going to do.”

Quinn was in Washington, D.C. at a closed-door meeting on climate change. But the governor didn’t let the meeting go unanswered; signing legislation that supporters say would toughen grant rules and prevent some of the problems found in the anti-violence program.